But despite the concerns, the men's and women's triathlon went ahead on Wednesday, July 31, a day later than the initial schedule, near the historic Pont Alexandre III bridge amid a slight drizzle and gray skies.
France's Cassandre Beaugrand bagged gold in the women's event, while Julie Derron of Switzerland and Beth Potter of Great Britain won silver and bronze. British triathlete Alex Yee won gold in the men's event.
The said body of water has been previously reported to be the site of the swimming portion of triathlon competitions as well as open-water swimming events. The swimming leg of the Olympics triathlon was set to take place in its waters on July 30 (but took place on July 31) and Aug. 5, followed by the open-water swimming on Aug. 8 to 9.
Earlier in July, Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo plunged into the murky waters of Seine in her goggles and a wet suit and swam breaststroke under bright sunshine before immersing her face and beginning a front crawl, covering about 100 meters downstream. After a while senior local officials and Paris Games Chief Organizer Tony Estanguet joined in. Hidalgo now boasts on Instagram, admitting that "it was a bold gamble…We wanted to put Paris on show! This morning, the triathletes did it. We kept our promise!" She also paid tribute to France's Beaugrand's victory, posting on her stories: "The incredible Cassandre Beaugrand has made history…How emotional to see her swimming in the Seine, thank you for making us so proud."
Reports reveal that the organizers have spent more than $1.5 billion trying to overcome the river's high levels of E.coli bacteria. Earlier this month, the river passed the series of tests and was deemed to be clean enough for the swimming competitions but the recent heavy rainfall has set that back. In a joint statement, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon earlier said they were "confident that water quality will return to below limits before the start of the triathlon competitions."
While the biking and running training sessions went on as scheduled, the swimming training didn't happen. The Seine was supposed to be a training site for athletes over the weekend and two straight days of canceled practice left prospective competitors unable to prepare for arguably the most grueling part of a triathlon.
Meanwhile, USA Today reported American triathlete Seth Rider's unconventional and unhygienic strategy for preparing for the Seine's E. coli levels. "We actually raced here last year in the test event," he said. "I don't think anyone got sick after that, which can't be said about all the races we do. In preparation for this race, I knew there was going to be some E.coli exposure. So I've been trying to increase my E.coli threshold by exposing myself to a bit of E.coli in day-to-day life." He said he has not been washing his hands after he goes to the bathroom.
Olympics opening ceremonies' "naked blue man" claims his performance was a "message for peace"
When the Paris 2024 Olympics opened, a lot of spectators were shocked at the show's "The Last Supper" parody, which featured a naked blue guy named Philippe Katerine, a French entertainer who claimed to be playing the Greek god of wine Dionysus, and several drag artists.
During the performance, he sang a song while lying on a table, appearing to be fully naked and covered head-to-toe in glittery blue paint. In an interview with CNN, Katerine said his song "Nu" or "Naked" was a message for peace, inspired by war, such as those in Gaza and Ukraine.
"Would there have been wars if we'd stayed naked? The answer is perhaps no because you can't hide a gun or a dagger when you're naked," he said. "So you've got this idea of harmlessness when it comes to the naked man. And the idea of the origins of the Olympic Games in Greece, which are represented today because when you see paintings, they're of naked athletes too, also with the idea that they can't carry weapons when they're naked."
Katerine said he was "deeply sorry" if his appearance shocked people but confirmed it was never his intention and the fallout has been driven by a "misunderstanding." "I was brought up as a Christian and the best thing about Christianity is forgiveness. For me, it's the most beautiful thing there is: forgiveness," he added. "So I ask for forgiveness if I have offended anyone, and the Christians of the world will grant me that, I'm sure and will understand that it was mostly a misunderstanding. Because when it comes down to it, it wasn't about representing 'the Last Supper' at all."
Olympic organizers have also apologized for the scandalous welcome ceremonies after it was criticized by the Catholic church and Christian groups. As per the French Catholic Church, the festivities "included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity." (Related: Paris Olympics officials issue half-hearted apology after worldwide outrage over woke Last Supper parody.)
The Games spokesperson Anne Descamps claimed that there was "clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group," while the director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, insisted that "The Last Supper," which was painted by Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, was not the inspiration behind the scene.
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